Sumner Regional Medical Center and Vanderbilt University Medical Center have announced an affiliation agreement between both hospitals, which will increase the programs offered at the Gallatin hospital.

The agreement comes after the leadership team at Sumner Regional explored several different affiliation options for the Gallatin-based facility, said Peach.

“Vanderbilt, which is one of our nation’s premier academic medical centers, emerged as the ideal fit for us,” Peach said in a statement. “We look forward to working with Dr. Pinson and the clinical leaders at Vanderbilt to collaborate on a number of initiatives that will be designed to provide a higher level of health care services in our region.”

While the agreement does not involve any ownership or management of Sumner Regional by Vanderbilt University Medical Center, it does lay the groundwork for the medical centers to create collaborative programs and services to enhance patient care, Highpoint spokeswoman Rachel Lassiter said.

Sumner Regional, the flagship hospital of HighPoint Health System, is a 155-bed acute care facility located in Gallatin, which offers a full range of emergency, diagnostic, surgical, women’s pediatric and rehabilitative services.

One of the first initiatives to be developed as a result of the affiliation is a teleneurology program, which will provide collaborative care between Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s neurologists and Sumner Regional’s emergency departments and hospitalists.

“The program will provide 24/7 coverage between the two hospitals, which will allow SRMC to offer more comprehensive neurology services,” Lassiter said. “The additional service will result in a higher level of care and better outcomes for patients experiencing stroke symptoms.”

Another program being developed will increase access to pediatric services at Sumner Regional by dedicating three rooms in its emergency department to be designed and equipped for children to allow for a more comfortable environment for emergency care. The hospital already provides an inpatient Pediatric Care Unit and specialized pediatric emergency services in its emergency department.

“The rooms will also offer pediatric-trained emergency physicians and a specially trained staff to care for children who present to the emergency department from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. every day, when the majority of outpatient clinics are closed,” Lassiter said.

Pinson said the affiliation is a “natural progression” for both institutions, which have worked together for decades.

“With our colleagues at SRMC, we have significant opportunities to provide increased access to care and an expanded array of services for a rapidly growing region,” Pinson said in a statement.

The pediatric program will be implemented within the coming weeks and the teleneurology program within the next three months, Lassiter said.